A bioassay of the chelating agent, trisodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate trihydrate, for possible carcinogenicity was conducted by administering the test material in feed to Fischer 344 rats and B6C3F1 mice. The chemical was administered to 50 males and 50 females of each species at low and high concentrations, 3,750 and 7,500 ppm, for 103 weeks. Matched-control groups were composed of 20 males and 20 females of each species.

No compound-related signs of clinical toxicity were noted. Although a variety of tumors occurred among test and control animals of both species, no tumors were related to treatment. Since survival was satisfactory and showed noconsistent variation among test and control groups, the absence of treatment-related tumors could not be attributed to early mortality.